SUBSIDIARY HIGHWAYS.

Shannon News, 19 March 1929, Page 4

SUBSIDIARY HIGHWAYS.

BOARD INVITES SUGGESTIONS,

QUEEN STREET—GLADSTONE BD , AND p^ATHERLEA—KOPUROA—FOXTON ROAD RECOMMENDED.

PENETRATION OF MOTOR TRAFFIC

Two recommendations for roads to be declared subsidiary highways are to be forwarded to the Main Highways Board by the Ilorowhenua County Council. These are Queen StreetGladstone Road and the HeatherleaFoxton Road i via Koputaroa. This action was taken at the meeting of the Council on Saturday, as the result of notification received from the Highways Board that it proposed to make the annual review of main highways (as, provided for by Section 11 of the Act), if possible, in April or May. "It is not intended," wrote the District Engineer, "to make a further wholesale declaration of new main highways, 'and the Board is prepared to consider a limited number of applications only; but on the other hand the Board proposes to review all declarations which have been made up to the present, with a view" to adjustment in those cases'where an alteration in traffic and other conditions show that the substitution of some other road or route is justified." Enclosed with the letter were forms of application for the declaration of main highways. The District Engineer stated that such applications would beplaced for recommendation before a meeting of the District Highways Council to be held early in April. »

,In a subsequent letter it was asked that all items in the declaration form be filled in, as in some cases the forms which had reached the Board's office had not contained full information concerning the proposed new highways. The following" items had been omitted from some returns: —Mileage (accurate and not approximate figures to be given), average daily traffic (tallies to be taken in all eases), locality map (this must.be supplied). , "Now, ' gentlemen, this is your , opportunity," said the chairman (Mr Monk), "This refers to subsidiary highways." He added that a tally of traffic over any roads which it was proposed to recommend would have to 'be taken for at least a week. The Council should not suggest a v road which ran parallel with an existing highway, nor unseat one of the'roads already-declared. At the last meeting, Cr,. Gimblett had suggested that upper Queen Street and the lower end of Gladstone Rd. might reasonably be considered. The Chairman invited Councillors to put forward the claims of their ridings, and stated that the proposals would be taken one at a time.

A. POPULAR RESORT.

Cr. Gimblett said lie had been for a long time of the opinion .that. Queen Street; East and its continuation, the lower portion of 'Gladstone Boad, should be a subsidiary highway, because he did not think that more than 25 per cent, of the traffic belonged to the district served by the road. The thoroughfare was adjacent to the Levin borough; it was a route to the Ohau Eiver, a favourite picnic resort; there was a Borough reserve at the top (east) end of Queen Street; and the route was much used by trampers, fishers, and holiday-makers generally. What might be described as foreign traffic was responsible for more than 50 per cent, of the vehicles using the road. The only obstacle he could see to declaring it a subsidiary highway was the choice of a fair time during which to take a tally of the traffic. On January 22nd (Anniversary Day) over ears passed over the road in eight hours, xlnother day comparatively little traffic might be seen on the road. -The geographical position of the road would prove to anyone that the Council had every right to claim that it should be partly maintained by users. The scenic reserve on upper Queen St. was a motor camping ground, with up-to-date facilities, and there were generally one or two camps there. The road was not in a fair state of repair, and he understood that the Council had no more money available for it this year.

Replying to a question by Cr. Gmi- ' blett as to what subsidiary highways were already in existence in the County, the chairman stated that these were the Levin-Hokio Road, half a mile of the Upper Hutt-Waikanae Road, and the To Horo-Waihoanga Road. ' Cr. Gimblett: Was a tally taken? The Chairman: No. Cr. Gimblett: You have got a win. Cr. 'Catley said that Cr. Gimblett had made out a very good case. €r. Gimblett. moved that application be made to have Queen Street East and the lowe/ portion of Gladstone Road as far as the Pipe Bridge declared a subsidiary highway. The motion was secon'ded by Cr. Catley. He said that Cr. Gimblett was in a good position to judge the amount of traffic that used that road, in regard to which .the speaker could corroborate him,. On Sundays and holidays numbers of people habitually used the road for pleasure.' He thought there was an application some time ago to have this made a subsidiary road. The Chairman: I asked to have it held over till this time arrived. Cr. Ryder expressed his agreement with the proposal. ■Cr. Jensen said he had nothing to say against the proposition, but he would like to know the length of the road. The Council would have to go to a certain amount of expense in obtaining a tally. This road might be better qualified to be a subsidiary highway than some that had already been declared. • The Chairman: No fear. Cr. Jensen: We don't know the; amount of. traffic that was on thesei roads when they were declared, norj

the amount, of .'traffic they will show at this time of -year. •'■'■'■■■ The Chairman: The Board themselves recommend the others; we did not.

Or. Jensen contended that the Department had been declaring far too many roads in New Zealand. It should have concentrated on the , main highways before launching out on such big schemes as it had done and spending all the money available out of taxation..

Cr. Catley: Is it not a fact that, where a tally is taken, the person questioned |has to declare where he is from? The Chairman: Yes.

Cr. Catley: In taking a tally they are taking a very practical, sensible course, showing what traffic is local and Avhat is not. The Chairman stated that the Engineer reported that to take a tally over a week, for 24 hours a day, Would probably cost about £l6. Cr. Gimblett stated that the length of road from the Shannon Eoad corner tj the Pipe Bridge was approximately four miles. The population o.t Levin was growing, and this was. one of the summer evening and Saturday and Sunday drives. This was brought home to him very forcibly because he lived on that road.

• The motion tabled by Cr. Gimblett was carried, and it was decided to take a tally of the traffic on the road for the week ending on Easter Sunday.

ALTERNATIVE EOUTE TO FOXTON

In advocating the claims of the Hea-therlea-Koputaroa-Foxton Eoad, , Cr. Kilsby said that there were a many residents at the western end and quite a number at the eastern end. On the previous Sunday anything up to fifty cars passed over the road, and it was being used more and more, as a "through" road between the Foxton Eoad and the eastern district, most of the traffic being foreign traffic. This was an expensive road for the Council to maintain. He thought that a tally of the traffic could be 'taken at the same time as the tally on'Queen Street and Gladstone Eoad. Cr. Kilsby' added that at times when the river was in flood the Koputaroa-Foxton Eoad was used for diveited traffic. The flaxmillers also used it, for heavy traffic. (The Chairman: They use it for local production. Cr. Kilsby moved that the Heather-lea-Koputaroa-Foxton Eoad be included in the roads to be recommended as subsidiary highways. Cr. Bryant seconded the motion pro forma.

The Chairman stated that a traffic tally would have to be taken on this

Or. Jensen: Who is paying for the traffic tally? Does it come out of the County funds? The Chairman: The riding funds. I suppose. It is a riding matter. Cr. Catley: Our allocation has to ibe made out of riding funds, so it would bear the expense;. The Chairman: Your riding is goiUg to benefit. '

Cr. Gimblett: The money ypu have allocated in the past for Queen Street is not going to benefit it. The settlers up there''say they are going *to kick me right out. Queen Street is worse than it has ever been. >

' Cr. Eyder:' I don't know this Hea j therlea-Koputaroa-Foxton Road well, but I don't think there is much foreign traffic,. except in flood j time Cr. Kilsby: If you don't know it well, you cannot express that opinion. Cr. Ryder: I know the district well. I have objection..to 'this riding having a tally taken. The motion was carried, the only dissentient vote being Cr. Ryder's. KAWIU-FOXTON ROUTE NOT PRESSEB. \

The Chairman said there was another road that had probably been overlooked, and that was the Kawiu-Foxton Road, which was probably carrying as much traffic, if not more, than the main highway. Cr. Kilsby: Not foreign traffic. The Chairman: Yes, as much as your main road is 'carrying. Cr. Kilsby: Oh, no.

The Chairman: The state of that road shows is a terrific traffic on it. The number of settlers on it is not many. Cr. Gimblett: I have had that road in view, but I was hoping you were going to divert traffic there when yon begin the sealing of the main road, land we will have a subsidy to keep that road in repair.

The Chairman: Pound for pound. iCr. Gimblett: You say there is as much traffic there as on the main road, but I cannot quite .agree with that. iou will when /all the traffic is diverted there, that you will have no road at all and we shall have to get relief. If you are suggesting Kawiu Road, I i.m .only too pleased to join in that. The Chairman: I am not moving. It is no good sending a whole lot in. Cr. Ryder: I think that that road far more important than Cr. Kilsby's.

Cr. Gimblett: They will consider four milys under exceptional circumstances where tl\cy will not eonside• a long piece. No motion was forthcoming, and the Council proceeded to the next business.